Direct mail has continually been a trusted and effective method of conveying your message to customers.  However, for a direct mail marketing campaign to work, it requires a considerable direct mail printing job, costing both money and time to monitor the results.

Are there ways to conduct a direct mail marketing campaign that is budget-friendly and effective? Here are three ideas to get you started.

1. Acquire a Targeted Mailing List

Your direct mail recipient list should be targeted specifically to your researched demographic. Remember all the target customer research you did before you ever got your business off the ground? This information can be helpful in getting a solid mailing list of leads.

A direct mail campaign geared to acquire new customers can get very expensive when you start mailing to untargeted recipients. Your responses end up being much less than the standard, and money is wasted. However, when you aim your direct mail printing materials to targeted individuals, you have a much better chance that they will at least read your material and get a response.

2. Cost-Effective Printing with Postcards

To help save money on your direct mail printing materials, choose your media wisely. Of course, a typical direct mail marketing campaign utilizes a 1 to 2-page letter, a return envelope, and other promotional papers. But why spend so much on unneeded paper?

Using a simple postcard can save you considerable money on your direct mail printing and provide you a better chance of getting read. With a post card, there is no envelope to open, which means your recipients are more likely to get your headline message.

In addition, with postcard printing, not only can you save money on printing, but also on the copy. Professional copywriters charge much less for a postcard size direct mail.

3. Use Smaller Size Catalogs and Newsletters

Do you want to send your product catalog as part of your direct mail campaign? Avoid using traditional size printed catalogs. Instead, opt to have your catalog printed on postcard size paper.

The same strategy can be used on a newsletter. A newsletter printed on a booklet size paper saves you money. Print your material on all side of your booklet, and save the last page for making your offer to the recipient or sending the reader to your website for more information.

Direct mail still works. And while it may cost a bit to perform direct mail printing, it is still affordable, and if done creatively, you can enjoy lucrative returns on your investment.